Can you find my keys?

There was an event in our lives back in 2008 I like to call The Great Key Incident. We went to a Christmas tree farm, happy little family that we are, to pick out and cut our own tree. Typical Pacific Northwest winter adventure. And then…

Capt lost our keys, out in the vast field filled with Noble firs and the sun setting quickly. Thus ensued an episode of, “Things That Only Happen to Us.” The tree farm employees helped us until it was around closing time and then they were all, “Ok! Shift is over! Good luck!” We never found our keys. Good friends who were willing to drive to our house, open our garage, dig through our junk drawer, find our second set of keys, and then drive to the tree farm rescued us.

Did I mention Boy Child was only two at the time? Ya. Good times.

Tile Bluetooth Tracker Review:

Here’s where we all say, “Yay! Technology!” Check out this little Bluetooth gadget. Small, durable, and not just for keys. (Sew it to the inside of your kid’s pants?) The most obvious choice for us, obviously, was to put it on my key ring.

Setup

Download the Tile app, available on both iPhone and Android platforms, and create an account. The app is free, with nice and simple instructions on setting up and pairing the Tile with your phone. You don’t have to go to your phone’s Bluetooth settings, you can pair it within the app itself. It took less than five minutes for me to have it up and running.

Using it

There is a List view and a Map view. See your item on a map, or simply use the list. Once paired with your phone, it can also find your phone. No FindMyiPhone required. What that means is the Tile is mutli-functional; it’s not simply a one-function, one-item “find it” locator. I love that. Here are the basics:

Finding your item with the Tile attached:

Open the app. There you see a list of Tile connections you’ve created after pairing.

Tap what you are looking for (your phone, keys – whatever you’ve named your Tiled item)

Tap “Find” on the next screen

A sound will emit from the Tile and there you are. Follow the sound, find your item.

Finding your phone:

Simply do the reverse: Press the “e” on your Tile, and it will ring your phone. That easy.

Summary:

Handy little gadget, multiple applications for use, and really simple. There are other features, such as crowd sourcing your Tiled item by allowing it to be “seen” (on a map) by other Tile users, add multiple Tiles to the app for different items, and even press the Tile’s “e” button to make an audible noise while you are out and about. A good safety feature. The Tile Bluetooth Tracker is available at AT&T Wireless for $25 for one, or $70 for a 4-pack. Enjoy knowing where your stuff is.